It’s the International Day of Happiness on 20 March and this year the theme is ‘happier together’. What do you do to make yourself and others happy? The MFML team past and present share their happiness hacks.
Happier Together
Happiness is contagious and sharing our experiences with others and nurturing and cultivating our friendships can top up our happiness quotient. Volunteering or helping others does this too. It would seem, we are happier together. Did you also know, the very act of feeling in the flow: being focussed on our task at hand helps to boost our happiness. You’ll be familiar with the term ‘getting into the flow’. Psychologists have discovered that being in a flow state results in greater creativity and ultimately greater happiness. Yoga helps you to access this state and can help to boost a positive frame of mind. Remember approach your challenges with kindness, patience, enthusiasm and gratitude and become happier. We hope you enjoy our tips to find happiness.
Kat Farrants
There’s no way you can be anxious and grateful at the same time. Taking time to remember the good things in life, fills me with happiness. I keep a gratitude journal and I’ll note three things in the morning and three things at night, and I find that I have a lot more to be grateful for each day. Research has shown that gratitude is a big contributor to our happiness: the more we cultivate our gratitude, the happier we will be. I also encourage everyone to hang out with dogs. Dogs are just so present and my dogs remind me to be present and when I’m present, I’m certainly not worrying about the past or the future but am firmly rooted to this moment and to keeping happiness. In fact, dogs and other experts at showing us how to be happier together. Try this class from Nikita Akilapa to boost your gratitude
Rakhee Jasani
Spread good will and loving kindness. I remember finding myself on quite a crowded train one day without my book and my phone and I had no choice, but be present and look around. I noticed an old man with a limp but with twinkly, blue eyes; the tired-looking mother with all the patience in the world for her child; I noticed the old, the young, the energetic, the weary and I noticed, how very human everyone was and I began to wish them well. I wished them well with whatever they were facing, the good or the challenging and by the time I got to my stop, I was welling over with joy. This has become my happiness practice now even when my other shortcut to happiness, a good book, is with me! And I truly believe, we are happier together. This beautiful class from Mimi Kuo-Deemer will help you to tap into Metta or loving-kindness.
Jessica Crisp
I live close to the sea and I find happiness by taking long walks. I love walking on the beach because the wind blows out all the cobwebs!!
The wide open space and sound of the sea is so soothing and gives me space to just be. I love finding beautiful shells and stones and admiring the beauty of nature. It’s not just me though, researchers from the University of Exeter found that being by the sea is linked to better mental health. Sea air has been shown to have higher levels of oxygen and the sound of waves is soothing prompting deep relaxation. Evoke the benefits of being by water in this class from Lucy McCarthy.
Laura Perry
My happiness habit is to get outside. Whatever the weather; whether it’s rainy or sunny; light or dark. Ideally, there are some big elements involved. I love being on the moor with a high wind, where everything feels raw and elemental. But, really, it’s being outside that returns me back to equilibrium. Sometimes, exercise is helpful, but if I go to the gym, then I can still have that lingering sadness or whatever. If I go outside everything fixes itself whether that’s walking or running or yoga. Try Mimi’s flow class to get you close to the elements.
Hannah Keywood
Positivity is the foundation for happiness It’s been said before, but ‘fake it, till you make it!’ I know that being positive, smiling and being enthusiastic means that these qualities are reflected straight back at me. And being positive about things, makes me feel happier too. Try this class from Mercedes Sieff to boost your zest.
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